The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to a 65-year-old doctor, who was arrested by Haryana Police on May 17 for allegedly sharing edited videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah [Mushtaq Ahmed v State of Haryana].
Justice NS Shekhawat took note of the custody period of the accused Mushtaq Ahmed and ordered his release on regular bail.
“The prosecution is yet to lead evidence to prove the involvement of the petitioner in the crime. At this stage, nothing is to be recovered from the petitioner and the investigation is almost complete. Even otherwise, the petitioner is a senior citizen and deserves sympathetic consideration. Thus, the further custody of the petitioner will not serve any useful purpose,” the Court said.
According to the prosecution, the videos shared by Ahmed portrayed the politicians and army of India “in a subdued state” whereas the leaders of Pakistan were shown in a victorious state.
The videos had been shared when tensions were high between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam. Such videos would encourage feelings of separatism and certainly endanger the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the nation, the police claimed.
However, the counsel representing the accused told the High Court he had only forwarded the video and there was no evidence to connect him with the commission of alleged crime. It was also submitted that he is a senior citizen and suffers from various age related health issues.
Senior Advocate Bipin Ghai with advocates Nikhil Ghai and Paras Talwar represented the accused.
Additional Advocate General Rupinder Singh Jhand represented the State of Haryana.
[Read Order]